St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. – Mongooses thrive upon the U.S. Virgin Islands’ where they were originally brought in to kill rats. The animals are formidable opponents for snakes largely due to their speed and agility, which helps them avoid the reptiles’ fangs and launch quick attacks when they sense an opening. At times tonight the Kent State men’s basketball team seemed like a mongoose to the Fordham squad. Every time the Rams seemed to have the Golden Flashes cornered, Kent State would get away as the Golden Flashes defeated the Rams, 79-72, in the third place game of the 2023 Paradise Jam at the USVI Sport and Fitness Center.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 2-3 on the season while Kent State improves to 4-2.
 
The Rams were led by senior guard Japhet Medor, who scored 18 points, shooting 9-for-11 from the free throw stripe, and he added three steals and two assists, while sophomore forward Joshua Rivera added 14 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Will Richardson also finished in double figures with ten points.
 
The game was a mirror image of yesterday’s contest, only instead of opening the game with offensive struggles, the Rams opened the second half cold on offense.
 
Fordham led by three at the break, 43-40, scored just one basket over the first ten minutes as the Golden Flashes outscored the Rams 14-2 over the first eight minutes of the half to take a 54-45 lead with 12:11 remaining.
 
Fordham managed to cut the deficit to five three times over the next eight minutes, the final time at 67-62, on an Elijah Gray three-point play with 4:28 left.
 
But Kent State managed to hold off the Fordham rally and the closest the Rams would get from that point was another five-point deficit, 73-68, following a Richardson three-pointer with 38 seconds on the clock.
 
Takeaways
• The Rams scored the first nine points of the game for their largest lead of the night.
 
• Fordham shot 50.0% (13-26) from the field in the first half and 25.0% (8-32) in the second.
 
• The Rams had three starters in foul trouble which limited their minutes in the game as Medor played only 21 minutes, Antrell Charlton was limited to 25 minutes, and Kyle Rose fouled out after playing 20 minutes.
 
• Abdou Tsimbila blocked one shot in the game and has blocked at least one shot in all four games he has appeared in this season.
 
• Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff served as an assistant coach at Fordham from 1997-99 under head coach Nick Macarchuk.
 
• Kent State is the defending MAC champions.
 
• This was Fordham’s third appearance at the Paradise Jam as the Rams played in the third place game for the first time.
 
By the Numbers
9 – Free throws made by Japhet Medor, a season-high.
 
10 – Steals by the Rams, a season-high.
 
17 – Offensive rebounds by the Rams, Fordham’s second straight game with 17 offensive rebounds.
 
20 – Turnovers forced by the Fordham defense.
 
What’s Next?
• The Rams return to the historic Rose Hill Gym to host the Manhattan College Jaspers in the annual Battle of the Bronx on Monday, November 27, at 7:00 p.m..
 
• It will be the 114th meeting between the Rams and the Jaspers on the hardwood.
 
• The 113 games played with Manhattan are the most for any Fordham opponent.
 
• Manhattan leads the all-time series, which started in 1911-12, 59-54.
 
• The two teams have not met since 2021, a game win by the Jaspers, 66-60, at Manhattan.